(01-03-2023, 01:49 PM)scottyg Wrote:

(01-03-2023, 01:25 PM)carp8dm Wrote: I might be a bit too much of a homer, and maybe I'm just really high on the fact that we look so good...

But I think our Secondary looks OK for another year...  Tyson Campbell, Montaric Brown, Darius Williams, Chris Claybrooks, hell with Trey Herndon in there as back up along with Trevaugn Cambell?  I think of the 3 corps of the defense, the secondary seems to be the one with depth and talent that we can ride into 2023.  

Now, let's consider the total collapse in October.  That month, our entire team was exposed.  Many focused on Lawrence.  But many of us also started calling for our DC's ouster.  I, was one of them.  The secondary look lost.  The LB'ers look lost.  And our D-Line was playing on roller blades.  All that to say that it wasn't just the secondary that was the problem in October.  However, there were issues in the secondary that looked really bad.  Tyson Cambell was the only shining light.  But since October, the entire secondary has looked very good.  It's possible that this unit isn't as talent voided as we thought.  And it's possible Caldwell's system is beginning to take hold on the players.

I agree that Key and Smoot are going to be an issue as Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs).  Smoot of course, tore his achilles.  He won't be even ready to play untill November at the earliest.  And Key, who I really like is a UFA that will probably try to test the market.  I hope we can sign him, but we don't have the cap space to pay him unless he takes a team friendly deal.  But Robertson Harris is under contract, we may cut him, actually instead of resigning him depending on what we decide to do. 

And that's the thing.  If you look at the depth chart, we run a hybrid 3-4.  And we have lots of issues that need to be addressed regarding DE "edge" rushers versus DT type edge setters... The jaguars.com depth chart shows key in multiple positions.  He's very valuable in terms of depth and talent.  Safe to say we have a lot of hybrid type talent that can be moved around in a 3-4.

I think the point is that if you want to shore up the D, I don't think it's the Secondary you focus on in this off-season.  

Personally, I think the primary focus should be the O-Line.  Cam Robinson is out at LT, Taylor is UFA as RT...  The entire success of this team is because of Trevor Lawrence.  Walker Little looks good and will fix one of the tackles.  But we need to fix the other tackle...  Cam wasn't all that great to begin with...  Dude is more inconsistent that my 12 year old daughter determining what she's going to wear out to go grab some ice cream at Baskin Robbins.  And Taylor is probably going to be bought out by another team that has unlimted cap space.  

So assume Little is one Tackle, Cam may or may not be back by November, and Taylor is gone.  So we now have major issues on the O-Line.  The one group that protects our QB.  You gotta focus on the O-Line this draft.  You gotta get at least 1 starter and then a couple depth...  Draft O-Line...  Protect the next 20 years.

I think we need at least one more quality corner.  Those guys you mentioned are fine for depth as long as we never need them to play anything other than special teams - otherwise we're screwed.  Maybe they can develop with a year of experience under their belts.

A disrupter on the IDL would be my favorite target though.  Would love it if we could pick up someone who could collapse the pocket from the inside - could make every player on the defense better, particularly in passing situations, secondary included.  And yeah, I like Key as well and hope we can find common ground to bring him back.

But what if we put Walker into the IDL?  Then we could look for more tweeners that can be used on the Edge as rushers or setters.  If Caldwell stays as DC, let him start making more decisions on what type of players he wants at that tweener position.  I think he's like the freedom to move players around given down and distance.  You can tell that's what he likes based on how certain players revolve round the D Line or LB positions.  

Look at Gotsis, Smoot (pre-Injury), Key, Llyod, Muma, and even Fatukasi.  Caldwell moved those guys around alot into different spots throughout the year.  Based on injuries things have had to settle down and become more solidified.  But, the fact that these guys all had to be in different spots and protect different gaps, etc, they are better for it.

Maybe that's what Caldwell is looking for.  Getting a squad of players that can be interchangeable at the front 7...  

Again, maybe I'm just being very optomistic about how good we look.  But I'm beginning to see the concept Caldwell is trying to teach his LBs and Linemen.

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